Nobility on the mat: how a young athlete refused a medal, believing that an injured opponent deserved it
The war took away from many Ukrainian children their usual childhood – with carefree walks, calm studies, confidence in the future. But she could not break their inner resilience, strength of spirit and ability to remain human even in the most difficult times. These qualities are especially evident in sports, where the result depends not only on physical training, but also on character. Young Ukrainian athletes continue to train, compete, grow, win — and sometimes, as happened recently at the Ukrainian grappling championship, teach adults lessons of true nobility.
The tournament in Khmelnytskyi: more than wrestling
On May 24-25, 2025, it was held in Khmelnytskyi championship of Ukraine in grappling among children in the age category of 12–13 years. This type of martial arts, which combines elements of fighting without punches, always requires maximum discipline, endurance and strategic thinking. But this time the struggle went beyond technology.
The guy in the blue kimono was supposed to compete in the match for third place. The day before, he fought a hard fight, won, but was seriously injured. Despite the pain and physical exhaustion, he appeared on the tatami – supported by other athletes, limping, with almost no strength.
According to the rules of the competition, if the athlete cannot continue the fight, the victory is automatically awarded to his opponent. This time — to the boy in the white kimono. But what happened next took this episode beyond sports logic and turned it into an example of dignity that those present are unlikely to forget.
“He’s already won”: a decision worth more than a medal
The guy in the white kimono—healthy, ready to fight, with a real chance to win bronze—did the unexpected. He turned to the judges and refused the medal, explaining that his opponent had already proven everything he could. He fought, won, did not give up even after the injury. And it is he, in the opinion of the young athlete, who deserves the award.
The judges recognized the injured boy as the winner. But he was even more moved by the moment when his opponent did not just give in, but helped him get off the carpet, supporting him by the arm. There was no pathos, the cameras recorded only a few seconds — but this was enough to bring tears to the eyes of the spectators, coaches, and organizers. It was a gesture of humanity that neither rules nor protocols required.
The President of the Odesa Regional Grappling and Pankration Federation Lernyk Musaelyan, who witnessed this moment, later emphasized:
“There are defeats and victories in sports, but there is also honor. And this guy’s act is pure honor.”
And indeed, behind the mat in grappling there are no enemies – there are partners who respect each other and compete not for humiliation, but for growth.
This episode is especially important now, when children in Ukraine are growing up faster than they should. And despite fatigue, sirens, destruction, losses, they not only retain the ability to compete, but also remain morally strong, attentive to other people’s pain, able to put someone else’s dignity above their own victory.
